Bracing originality in textile-making since 2018, Mari Jasmine and Tini Dahl are reinventing the traditional beach towel, releasing Flowe’s sustainable multi-purpose towels made from recycled waste that are mindful, creative, and environmentally conscious.
Creating a sense of liberation through sensibility and movement, SORA, now known as Flowe, was born from co-founders Mari Jasmine and Tini Dahl’s love for nature, and their passion for an essential part of any home, towels! Imbuing timelessness and functionality in their design and selection, they have created versatile and sustainable multi-purpose towels for your home, post-workout, on the go, or by the beach.
Taking inspiration from natural floral and fauna, along with the simplicity of man-made creations, exhibited through their elemental collection- Earth, Ocean, and Forest- Mari and Tini’s diverse roots, from Australia, Japan, and Norway, allowed them to come together and infuse uniqueness and minimalistic design elements into their craft.
Flowe is built on principles of mindful living and their sustainable beach towels are made from recycled plastic waste. Committing to sustainability in their products’ production and process, they hold their collaborative communities in the highest regard, making responsible and accountable decisions to ensure their towels are not just sustainably, but also ethically made!
The co-founders recount their humble beginnings with Hive Life, as they divulge their journey introducing a refreshing new concept, the creativity and mindfulness behind their design, and the sustainable mission of Flowe.
How did the two of you first meet?
When Tini and I were both living in Manila, we were introduced through mutual friends. Immediately, we realised that we had similar interests in travel, wellness, and design. We stayed in touch even when we moved to different countries.
What prompted you to start the label together?
It all started with a conversation in late 2017, out of frustration, actually! At the time, I couldn’t seem to find a beautiful, modern yoga towel, and Tini couldn’t find a functional towel that didn’t take up so much space in her bag on hiking trips. We were both at a point in our careers where we were looking for a new challenge, so we decided to get together and create our dream towel that we could not find anywhere else.
Can you share the story behind Flowe? What does it mean to you?
Our brand was born from a love of movement, and we hope to encourage people to venture out and explore through thoughtfully made, beautiful essentials that can see you through any occasion. We want to celebrate the little moments that make us feel alive — be it grand escapades, a quick beach trip, yoga class, or even just tranquil moments at home. We’d like these towels to be part of the routines that inspire you to be present and more intentional, wherever life takes you.
What’s the story behind the name “Flowe”?
Both of us are third cultural women. Tini is Filipina – Norwegian, and she spent a lot of her time in Hong Kong and Shanghai. Meanwhile, I’m Japanese-Australian and live in Manila. We often moved around and loved the idea of going from one place to another peacefully and intentionally. We also loved the idea of having such a functional, multi-purpose product that could move effortlessly with us.
Can you share the inspiration behind Flowe?
Our brand was born from a love of movement, and we hope to encourage people to venture out and explore their unique expression through our thoughtfully made, beautiful essentials that can see you through any occasion. We want to celebrate the little moments that make us feel alive — be it grand escapades, a quick beach trip, yoga class, or even just tranquil moments at home. We would like these towels to be part of the day-to-day routines and rituals, that inspire you to be present and more intentional, wherever life takes you.
What’s the story behind the name “Flowe”?
Both of us are third-cultural women. Tini being a Filipina – Norwegian, had spent most of her time in Hong Kong and Shanghai. Meanwhile, for [Mari] as a Japanese-Australian who lived in Manila, we would often move around. Essentially, we both loved the idea of going from one place to another in a peaceful yet ever-so intentionally. We also loved the idea of having such a functional, multi-purpose product that could effortlessly move with us.
What was the inspiration behind this new approach to the label?
We started out as Sora in 2018. Since then, we’ve learned so much and grown immensely as people and entrepreneurs. With Flowe, we wanted to build a brand that feels more aligned with our identity and values today. Sustainability has always been important to us, and our towels have always been made from recycled materials. But we felt we wanted to explore this further through more value-adding partnerships and giving back to the community. Now, we’re actively taking more steps towards sustainability and mindful production. For instance, we recently joined 1 Percent For the Planet, which allows us to directly support causes we care about on an ongoing basis. Aside from that, we decided to focus more on timeless, contemporary designs rather than trends. This way, our towels can be loved for a lifetime and across any season
How have you designed this product to be versatile?
We took our time meticulously searching for the perfect fabric. We call it our performance fabric because of all the things it can do- it’s highly absorbent, quick-drying, sand-repellent, lightweight, easy to pack, and non-slip with a moisture-activated grip. This makes it a versatile towel for nearly any activity — yoga, travel, beach trips and more. Beyond functionality, we also wanted it to feel luxurious, so the composition of recycled materials has a durable yet soft hand feel.
What is the story behind the style and aesthetics of the towels?
Our prints are designed to be contemporary, modern, and timeless. Rooted in simplicity, we give these classic prints a distinct Flowe feel by combining them with earthy colours inspired by our surroundings and elements of the natural world.
What materials are they composed of?
The performance towels are made from Global Recycled Standard (GRS)-certified recycled waste. Waste is collected from various kinds of plastic products, such as bottles, discarded textiles, and packaging, processed at a facility, and spun into yarn that makes up our towels. This material helps us reduce plastic waste in the ocean and landfills, without compromising the quality of our towels and maintaining their soft, luxe feel.
How are the latest product design aesthetics a representation of your individual roots and influences?
Both of us spent a lot of our childhoods outdoors and surrounded by nature — Tini in Norway, and [Mari] in Australia. We both feel a special connection to our natural environment. The colours we’ve chosen definitely reflect our love for the natural world. Additionally, we’ve always found similarities in Tini’s Scandinavian background and my Japanese heritage. They are both rooted in simplicity, minimalism, and subtle elegance. Our simpler, contemporary prints feel more in line with the design aesthetics that we grew up with.
What kind of lifestyle do you hope to promote with your Flowe towels?
Flowe is for anything that makes you feel alive. How you define it is a personal endeavour, whether that means taking a warm bath and relishing stillness, being at the beach at dawn, or entering a flow state during your yoga practice.
Flowe is for adventures, and rituals both big and small.
Flowe puts mindful production at the core of its operations. How does the brand incorporate sustainability into its production and fabrication?
Throughout our supply chain and operations, we strive to take a considered, environmentally conscious approach.
As mentioned, our performance towels are crafted from Global Recycled Standard-certified plastic waste, which is collected from several locations like oceans and landfills.
On the production side, we have built a close-knit relationship with our manufacturer in China, which is also a women-led business. We avoid overproduction and reduce our waste by producing only in small, limited quantities.
With regards to packaging, our U.S. shipments use poly mailers made of 100% recycled content and 50% post-consumer content, which have a lower carbon footprint than paper and virgin plastic. Meanwhile, our Philippine shipments use compostable mailers or paper bags where possible, but we’re working on finding even more environmentally friendly shipping options
Recently, we’ve also proudly joined 1 Percent For the Planet, a global organisation of businesses that aim to drive positive change across various social and environmental issues. Through this partnership, we pledge a portion of our sales to causes and communities dear to us.
Do you have plans to expand your sustainability efforts in the future?
Definitely. Currently, we’re really excited about exploring biomaterials for our products, such as organic cotton, mycelium, and other textile innovations. We’re also in talks with some wonderful factories that have really exciting sustainable practices like creating their own solar energy. Sustainability will always be a work in progress, and so we’re constantly looking for creative ways to reduce our environmental impact and incorporable sustainability in different areas of our supply chain.
As a mindful and eco-conscious label, what role do you think you play in contributing to changing people’s perspectives on living sustainably?
With growing issues surrounding climate, we felt it was our responsibility as a business to address sustainability and partake in a global movement where we can learn from each other to do better. We acknowledge that there is no way to be 100% sustainable, but it is possible to take steps towards a more equitable future for all, and we’d like our brand and the community we are building to reflect this.
What makes Flowe’s debut collection unique?
All our prints are rooted in classic designs with a slight twist. They are simple but have our own distinct Flowe style. Moreover, our collection bridges sustainability with quality craftsmanship and longevity. We hope to continue this in the future.
What is your favourite piece from the new capsule collection? And what do you love most about it?
For summer I’m partial to our Checker Towel in Ocean, and for my yoga practice, I’ve been reaching for the Striped Towel in Forest.
Where can we purchase your products?
Currently, our towels are available on our website shopflowe.com and in select retailers around the world.
Will Flowe still continue to collaborate with artists and creatives from around the world?
Absolutely, we’re so excited about collaborations as an avenue to connect with other creatives, but doing so in a more timeless manner.
Can we expect any new collaborations soon?
Yes, we have an exciting partnership launching this July with a like-minded brand.
Anything we can look forward to in 2022?
We’re launching a new print towards the end of this month, and we are developing a product that we’re really excited about and hope to release at the end of 2022. Watch this space!
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